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Dana White Unveils Plans for Fight Island Return in 2020

The UFC spent the month of July at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi while holding international fights. This […]

The UFC spent the month of July at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi while holding international fights. This spot became known as Fight Island and served as a bubble of sorts for the fighters and their coaches, but Dana White is not done with the venue just yet. He is planning on bringing the fight promotion back to Fight Island in the near future.

Speaking with reporters after Dana White’s Contender Series 28, the UFC President said that he does know the date that the promotion will return. He won’t reveal this information until later, but he is eyeing a longer trip. “I think this next run in Abu Dhabi will be five or six weeks,” White said. The UFC President also added further intrigue to the story by reaffirming that he plans on buying a home in Abu Dhabi.

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“A lot of the big fights that are international are going to be on Fight Island,” White said in a statement to ESPN. “I told everybody the last time we were there, people sort of thought this was a one-and-done or whatever. It’s not. We’re going to be at Fight Island. Abu Dhabi is going to end up being the fight capital of the world. It definitely isn’t Las Vegas.”

The next event on the schedule is UFC 252, which pits Daniel Cormier against Stipe Miocic in a heavyweight bout. The pair will meet at UFC APEX in Las Vegas and will serve as one of the most highly-anticipated fights in 2020. However, many upcoming events will likely take place on Fight Island. This potentially includes UFC 253 on Sept. 19, 2020, featuring Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa for the Middleweight title. Another likely option is UFC 254 featuring Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje.

White confirming the longer trip follows an interview with TMZ Sports when he talked about the reaction to Fight Island. He said that “everybody” wants to go to Abu Dhabi, including octagon girls and a number of fighters. In fact, White is so confident in Fight Island that he made a major proclamation about the future of MMA.

“I’m telling you right now, Abu Dhabi is gonna become the fight capital of the world! Place is gonna end up being the fight capital of the world,” White told TMZ Sports. “The stuff that we’re doing over there, the infrastructure that’s already been built, the stuff that we’re talking about doing, this place is gonna be a destination. If you are a fight fan, everybody wants to come to Fight Island man. You know? Because it’s fโ€”ing cool! It’s fun and it’s a really unique experience right now with all this weirdness that’s going on in the world.”